[Tatu Salmela]

In the first video linked by MM, there is some vibrato because the reeds are still in factory tuning and many of the octaves don’t match. I’m still doing work on the instrument, my customer now wants it a bit shorter. The bass notes require a lot of air, and a decent breathing technique. So, the next version will be 32 notes F-c, easier to handle.

[Tatu Salmela]

My bandonina has octave tuned reeds, not musette/vibrato tuned. However, it is possible to do musette tuning with the same structure. https://www.facebook.com/salmelainstruments/ I added some photos yesterday, and there is a video with the owner of the instrument.

[Tatu Salmela]

I can provide with decent instructions, but the gunstock grade walnut, +steel parts I can’t provide. There’s also a lot of hygiene issues with me selling potentially allergic unfinished wood products (such as most hardwoods), which are used in breathable instruments

[Tatu Salmela]

Of course it would be for experienced hobbyists, you have to know how to install and tune a reed.

[Tatu Salmela]

I use nowadays rowan ash for my instruments. In northern Finland, the rowan ash gets rotten at the core when it reaches over 70 cm diameter. The rest of the wood stays hard and the natural resins make it good for moisture-resistant applications. I have used it for harmonica combs etc. My old teacher showed me that you can make a knife out of rowan ash, it easily cuts trough alder, birch and maple, the more common Finnish hardwoods.

[Tatu Salmela]

The planks need to dry at least a year per inch of thickness in steady room temperature (before that, a couple of years in the yard). After that, I cut it into smaller pieces. There is still some warping of the wood because of the inner tensions, so I leave room for planing 2 sides of the timber. I have tried thermal treatment in an oven, it reduces moisture but makes the wood harder and more brittle. Not good for a keyboard. So I just take care selecting the right piece of wood for the job. In Finland, it’s really dry in the winter and humid in the summer. It’s better to watch the wood for a year or so to see the annual changes in shape and if it’s dry enough.

[Tatu Salmela]

Here’s an interview by the Finnish public broadcasting company, YLE, with some pictures of my workshop: http://yle.fi/uutiset/3-9485794 there’s also a couple of video interviews in there.

[Tatu Salmela]

The Proxxon is hand operated. If I needed a CNC-system, I would probably buy a different machine. I use the pantograph with upscaled (2:1-5:1) templates for cutting brass/aluminum parts. This works well with curved shapes. You can only shave a minimum amount of material off per pass, but the template keeps the mill bit in track.

[Tatu Salmela]

Sorry, no pictures yet, but here’s a brief description of my workshop:
I have a small workshop equipped with basic tools for repairing stringed instruments and accordions. A band saw, table saw, drill press, belt/disc-sander, a sturdy workbench by Marttila and a couple more benches for different stuff. I have lots of hand tools acquired by the years, some powered hand tools like a router, drill and a miniature belt sander spinning a 1/2″ wide belt. I also have a Proxxon MF70 Micro Mill, which has been very helpful in making tools and prototype work. I have the pantograph add-on which is good for engraving etc. For tuning I use a Peterson Autostrobe 490ST tuner, a mechanical spinning-disc stroboscopic tuner. Also I have some lab equipment for electronics repair: a function generator, DC source, tube oscilloscope etc.

[Tatu Salmela]

That is absolutely beautiful!

[Tatu Salmela]

That sounds wonderful! Really love the smooth chords!

[Tatu Salmela]

The standard Borel valve is among the simplest of valve designs: The button has a shoulder for a helical spring, which is around the rod that has the valve in the end, like in a ball-point pen. The button can rotate quite freely.

[Tatu Salmela]

Untreated aluminium tends to oxidise with spit, creating a white foam which is not healthy. Motorcycle shops and hobbyists are helpful with anodising, it needs some equipment and good ventilation. You can do some small-scale anodising in a well-ventilated workshop or garage, but you need a large container of non-reactive material which can stand heat (glass or ceramic perhaps), and I haven’t found a 50 cm tall glass jar yet.

[Tatu Salmela]

Hey, that’s wonderful!

If you use aluminium, you should get it anodized once you get the finish right (there might be some sanding and polishing). If you can go trough the trouble, it should resonate quite well, and give some weight to the sound. If you can afford it, order at least one in each material (you are experimenting, right?). Stainless steel or brass could do without coating, but they are much heavier.

This is the reason I joined this forum, it’s really nice to see some development on this instrument of humble origins!

[Tatu Salmela]

Are you sure the chamber surface is curved, not the reed channel cuts? With small-diameter router bits there can be some “stretchiness” to pattern edges, especially when removing too much material per pass. Usually milled surfaces tend to be flat and clean. Some of the waviness in the reed channels can be explained by hand finishing, the mill bit can’t cut sharp corners in a hole. On my cnc-milled reedplates, I had to hand-finish the reedholes by squaring the corners with a file.

Always when outsourcing a process, make very clear what is important in your design. If exact tolerances on the shape of the reed channels is not as important as the flatness of the surface, the round cornered rough channels in the lowest photo would do. If the shop has to do additional hand finishing, it shows in the price.

If I were you, I’d perhaps just ask if the surface was straight. Then I’d just pay for it, and test it once it arrives.

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